Emotional moment at Dick Advocaat’s presentation: ‘Could I perhaps have a little hug?’ | Dutch football

“I am very nervous now”, a press photographer begins when he gets the chance to ask Dick Advocaat a question. “Better well stolen than badly invented, I say.” The photographer is referring to the moment when national coach Louis van Gaal receives praise from a Senegalese journalist during a press conference at the World Cup. Afterwards, Van Gaal hugs the journalist.

In The Hague, the press photographer also seized his moment when he received the microphone. “This photo, this player, has hung above my folding bed for years,” he says about a photo he took. “That is a very special thing for me. What I find even more special about the ADO Den Haag club is that this man is committed to football with so much passion, with so much love.”

Text continues below the photo.

According to the man, Lawyer is now giving his love again by working at ADO. “Normally you get a round of applause when you’re dead. But I think that the joint football sport should give a big round of applause to the man who has kept the love for ADO alive here. Dick, I want to ask if you want to sign this Orange shirt. Thank you for all the beautiful things,” said the press photographer.

After Lawyer signs the shirt, he also has to hold back his tears. “Now I have to watch out, otherwise I will come along”, he says with a laugh to the other journalists. Shortly afterwards, another journalist also seizes his moment to praise Advocaat. “I still have a lump in my throat from the moment just now”, the second journalist begins his story.

He reminds Advocaat of the aforementioned moment with Louis van Gaal. ,,I have to admit very honestly – and then I make myself a little bit vulnerable – that I am also a fan of yours. You remind me of my late grandfather, he always had a passion for something and always kept going.”

,,I just became a father and I think it would be really great if soon, when my son is a little older, that I can show a picture of you and me. That I can say: this is Dick Advocaat, who always kept going. Who said twelve years ago that he would stop, but still kept going. Could I have a photo and maybe a little hug later.”

Dick Advocaat ends the two moments jokingly: “That’s no problem at all, I’m just imitating Louis van Gaal.”